First Battle of Rivas

The First Battle of Rivas was fought on 29 June 1855 at the start of the Filibuster War. The Liberal falange of William Walker won a pyrrhic victory against the Conservatives by capturing Rivas, the first step in taking back the capital of Managua.

Background
In 1854, the Conservative Party of Nicaragua politician Fruto Chamorro was elected Supreme Director through a fradulent election, and he moved the capital from Managua to Granada and passed a new constitution without a vote. This led to the Liberal Party of Nicaragua taking up arms against the aristocratic Conservatives, and the Liberal leader Francisco Castellon asked for foreign aid as the Conservatives turned the initial Liberal tide and captured Managua, Rivas, and other strongholds.

The American multi-billionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt sought to build a canal through Nicaragua to allow for his steamship monopoly to carry passengers from the East Coast of the United States to California without having to circle the whole of the Americas. However, he first sought stability in Nicaragua, so he funded a filibuster expedition to Nicaragua led by William Walker, who was ordered to seize power from the Conservatives and create a stable government. On 3 May 1855, Walker left San Francisco with around 60 filibusters, and they landed at the small hamlet of El Realejo on Nicaragua's western shore. They marched inland, guided by Liberal representatives Manric Martinez Olvera and Herberto Vargas Loera. Walker ordered his men to behave well as honored guests of Nicaragua, and he had three of them executed for attempting to steal sheep from the locals. Afterwards, he met with Castellon and General Munoz, and he announced that his men were now Nicaraguan citizens and would have God on their side as they fought for victory.

Battle
Walker and his 45 filibusters - armed entirely with rifles and revolvers - marched through the jungle towards the town of Rivas, their first objective. 100 Nicaraguan liberal soldiers were to bring up the rear of Walker's column as they marched. Walker planned to advance into the city and clear the Conservatives from the streets as the Nicaraguan liberals protected their rear and flanks. At 12:00 PM, the filibusters entered the city, and they were ambushed by Conservative soldiers on the rooftops after being halted by a wagon barricade. Several of the filibusters were killed or wounded; Walker's captain Charles Frederick Henningsen was shot in the arm and wounded, while Martinez was also wounded. Walker casually strolled towards the barricade, and the Conservatives there fled as the filibusters advanced with Walker. Walker and his men then took shelter in a house at Henningsen's advice, and they set up a field hospital there. Walker then ordered his men to create a diversion so that the rest of his men could escape, and they blew open a hole in the home's wall with gunpowder so that the main force could escape while others put up a diversion. The town was left full of bodies, and the wounded Martinez prayed for God to end the North American invasion, as he was enraged with the destruction of his country. The filibusters made a tactical retreat to San Juan del Sur after this initial setback.